MINOT — In recent weeks I've been quoting North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread a lot, and for good reason.

During an Aug. 20 interview on our Plain Talk podcast, Godfread, a Republican, made some painfully accurate predictions about health insurance premiums that, in turn, are central to why the federal government is shut down right now.

"I'm really worried about this upcoming open enrollment period," he said. "We're going to see pretty significant rate increases across the board across the country."

He was right. Americans across the board are facing a stiff hike in the cost of health insurance (which, in turn, is driven by the spiraling cost of health care). The average premium price increase for a mid-tier plan offered on the individual marketplace, specifically, is a

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